Wattie's shuts staff shop after goods are sold on Trade Me

Wattie's has closed its staff produce shop in Hastings after an employee resold its discounted goods on Trade Me.

The staff store, where employees can buy goods for as little as $2 a tray but which cannot be sold to the public, was closed last Friday. Signs were posted around the plant saying there had been an infringement.

The incident related to employees buying goods from the store and then selling them on internet auction site Trade Me.

Last week, a seller with the user name Island Goddess sold two bottles of Wattie's tomato sauce and two boxes of mayonnaise on the site. Another two bottles of sauce were withdrawn from a Trade Me auction on Friday.

Island Goddess stated on the website last Wednesday that more mayonnaise would not be available for some time.

"We had some a month ago but never thought to come on here and sell them, now we know to in the future," the seller said.

In a separate Trade Me auction, another user accused Island Goddess of selling goods bought at the staff store.

Island Goddess responded: "I never brought these from staff sales, Lovey, so get your facts right ... Attention everyone, this person on her own is trying to get all my auctions withdrawn because she is a very selfish person and is only thinking about herself, so get in before she does."

On the same auction, Island Goddess said more tinned goods would be posted once the sauce had sold.

Heinz Wattie's spokeswoman Alex Ingle said she was unaware that products were being sold on Trade Me and the store had been closed so that inquiries could be made after an audit showed "discrepancies". Ms Ingle said they were still investigating and no decision had been made on whether disciplinary action would be taken.

Trade Me business manager Mike O'Donnell said the compliance team had not been contacted by Heinz Wattie's about unauthorised sale of goods.

"Trade Me is a public window to the world and it's the least sensible place in the world [to sell illicit things] because every one will see," he said.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY